Owner of loose bull that caused fatal crash gets probation

RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) — The owner of a bull that wandered out on a road and caused a fatal car crash in Vermont has been sentenced to probation.

Craig Mosher was sentenced to 6 to 12 months of probation and 50 hours of community service on Wednesday for the crash that killed 62-year-old Jon Michael Bellis in 2015.

Mosher previously was charged with involuntary manslaughter, which carried a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. He instead pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless endangerment.

Farmers feared Mosher’s prosecution would set a precedent that would impact the state’s farming economy. Rutland County State’s Attorney Rose Kennedy says the verdict is not an attack on all farmers, and that Mosher was negligent in maintaining his fence.